Dragic pushes Rockets over Trail Blazers

Chase Budinger netted 15 points off the bench while Kyle Lowry added 13
points for the Rockets, who just completed a 4-0 road trip.

"We've been an awful road team," Budinger said. "Up to this point we haven't
won very many road games and it shows where we've gone from the beginning (of
the season) until now."

Marcus Camby, playing his first game in Portland since being traded to Houston
at the trade deadline, grabbed 11 rebounds.

The Rockets are one game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for sixth place in the
Western Conference.

LaMarcus Aldridge netted 20 points to go with six rebounds for Portland, which
shot just 39.8 percent from the floor and 6-of-21 from beyond the arc.

The Blazers are currently 4 1/2 games behind the Nuggets for the eighth and
final playoff spot in the west.

"We have eight or nine games left, every game is important," Portland forward
J.J. Hickson said of his team's dwindling playoff hopes.

The Blazers attempted to rally from a 13-point deficit midway through the
fourth, but two critical miscues down the stretch led to their ultimate
downfall.

After Aldridge split a pair from the line to pull Portland within 88-81, the
Blazers were unable to convert on a 3-on-2 break on their ensuing possession
following a Dragic turnover.

On the play, Raymond Felton dribbled the ball up the floor before dishing to
Jamal Crawford, but he came up short on his layup attempt. J.J. Hickson missed
the tip-in and Luis Scola made a layup at the other end to make it 90-81 with
1:08 remaining.

Crawford's three-point play pulled Portland within six with 41.1 seconds to
play, but Scola sealed the win with a layup at the other end.

Dragic let the shot clock whittle down to one before missing his triple from
the right wing, but Portland didn't box out underneath, and Scola got the easy
offensive rebound and putback with 16.1 seconds to play, making it 92-84.

Dragic netted eight first-quarter points as the Rockets took a 24-17 lead into
the second.

The Blazers shot just 31.8 percent from the field in the opening half and
trailed, 49-40, heading into the break.

Portland outscored Houston 25-22 in the third, but still trailed, 71-65,
heading into the final frame.